NameCensus.

UK surname

Pitchforth

In the 1881 census there were 197 people recorded with the Pitchforth surname, ranking it #12,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, down from #12,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Manchester and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Rannoch and Aberfeldy and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pitchforth is 299 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.9%.

1881 census count

197

Ranked #12,955

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

2003

299 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pitchforth had 197 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 276 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Pitchforth surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pitchforth surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pitchforth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pitchforth over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 131 #14,243
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 197 #12,955
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 224 #14,091
1911 historical 276 #12,099
1997 modern 288 #13,886
1998 modern 296 #13,997
1999 modern 298 #14,026
2000 modern 297 #14,008
2001 modern 288 #14,103
2002 modern 295 #14,146
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 291 #14,138
2005 modern 286 #14,242
2006 modern 279 #14,577
2007 modern 266 #15,261
2008 modern 264 #15,468
2009 modern 266 #15,711
2010 modern 274 #15,705
2011 modern 272 #15,653
2012 modern 256 #16,253
2013 modern 263 #16,232
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 250 #16,803
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

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Where Pitchforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Manchester, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Rannoch and Aberfeldy and Kirklees. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 026 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 021 Wakefield
3 Wakefield 029 Wakefield
4 Rannoch and Aberfeldy Perth and Kinross
5 Kirklees 050 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pitchforth

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pitchforth surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pitchforth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pitchforth, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Pitchforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pitchforth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Pitchforth is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pitchforth is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pitchforth falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pitchforth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pitchforth, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Pitchforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pitchforth surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 162 Pitchforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.51x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 162 8.51x
Lancashire 31 1.36x
Middlesex 3 0.16x
Northumberland 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elland Cum Greetland in Yorkshire leads with 39 Pitchforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 454.55x.

Place Total Index
Elland Cum Greetland 39 454.55x
Huddersfield 17 61.28x
Wakefield 16 109.44x
Eccleshill 10 215.98x
Everton 10 13.76x
Hipperholme Cum 9 107.53x
Longwood 9 293.16x
Salford 7 10.44x
Wyke In Bradford 7 205.28x
Leeds 6 5.58x
Liverpool 6 4.33x
Morley 6 60.61x
Soothill 6 87.21x
Bradford Girlington 5 588.24x
Doncaster 5 35.95x
Glass Houghton 5 724.64x
Sandal Magna 5 177.31x
Horton In Bradford 4 13.45x
Rastrick 4 75.61x
Birkdale 3 51.99x
Farnworth 3 21.96x
Bromley London 2 4.73x
Layton With Warbreck 2 23.89x
Potter Newton 2 59.52x
Bradford 1 2.17x
Byker 1 7.08x
Dalton In Huddersfield 1 23.42x
Halifax 1 3.58x
Holbeck 1 7.92x
Paddington London 1 1.42x
Southowram 1 17.21x
Stainland Cum Old 1 30.67x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 11.30x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pitchforth surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 7
Ellen 5
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Susannah 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Rebecca 2
Adelaide 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Annes 1
Aseneth 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothy 1
Emily 1
Emmay 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Florry 1
Grace 1
H. 1
Hanh. 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Ida 1
Julia 1
Lizzy 1
Maria 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pitchforth surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 17
James 9
William 9
Thomas 7
Arthur 4
George 4
Joseph 4
Fred 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Absalom 2
Albert 2
Charles 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Samuel 2
Absolom 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Benjiman 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Haworth 1
J. 1
J.Francis 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Mercy 1
Miles 1
Percy 1
Rich. 1
Robert 1
Sam 1
Simeon 1
Soloman 1
Solomon 1

FAQ

Pitchforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pitchforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 197 people were recorded with the Pitchforth surname. That placed it at #12,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pitchforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Pitchforth a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Pitchforth map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pitchforth bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.